Innovative breast cancer treatments that ‘do less harm’
Mary, Antonia or Eva are names of those who may have breast cancer. It is the most diagnosed disease in the world, and its number is increasing every year. In Spain, approximately 30% of those discovered are of this type, and this leading cause of death among womenin 2023 there were 759.
With the increase in incidence, the best method is to detect tumors in a timely manner, before metastases appear, and avoid more extensive and invasive procedures for the patient. This is why experts repeat the word “prevention” over and over again. Thanks to the achievements Doctors, the location of the tumor can be determined at an early stage, and treatment will be more effective.
Traditionally, the most common treatments have been chemotherapy and radiation therapyBoth are very aggressive because they attack all cells, diseased and healthy. In recent years, a new, more selective method has been introduced.
As he explains in conversations with Wizards, targeted therapy They offer many improvements. They “attack” only the changed cells, so they are much less harmful. This may reduce side effects such as hair loss, nausea, and vomiting. This helps the patient significantly.
In these situations, mental health is often just as important as physical health. A good attitude, mood and atmosphere They can help patients recover faster. However, only 11 targeted therapies are funded in Spain and they are not valid for all tumors.
40% do not need chemotherapy
Dr. Lluch states that in some cases chemotherapy is still needed“Yes, in combination with biological therapy. Today, 40% of patients, thanks to genetic tests, do not need chemotherapy to prevent relapse.” Of course, Lluch claims that breast cancer is much better controlled: “90% of patients go five years without recurrence.“.
Also, Radiation therapy is necessary unless the entire breast is removed. That is, the mammary gland remains unprotected and irradiation is necessary for any cells that may remain. This is why some women who are genetically vulnerable have their entire breasts removed as a precaution. The most famous case happened with Angelina Jolie. This is a last resort and in most cases it is not necessary.
On World Breast Cancer Day, patient organizations, doctors, government and private organizations wear a pink ribbon. This disease affects women and prostate, In men, these are the two most common areas that have more attention.
As Lluch explains, The overall mortality rate is actually very low.: “85 or 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer can be cured.”
With even greater reason, Lluch calls for prevention. The most common visible signs of suspicion are the appearance of bumps and inflammation around the chest. But in these cases, the cancer is usually already in more advanced stages; That’s why he insists: “Today’s women must get a mammogram even without signs or symptoms. “There is no need to be afraid of them because the radiation is minimal and they cannot cause cancer.”
In cancer there is also genetic loadagainst which little can be done. There are men who make up 1% of cases, and one in five have a family history. That is, this is a problem that affects everyone.
More research resources
The Spanish Federation of Breast Cancer (FECMA) took advantage of this day against cancer and asked for more resources to be allocated to research and treatment of this disease. In this year’s manifesto he believes that Spain is, or could become, “healthcare excellence“but warns that it will take”public and private funding“.
Despite areas of improvement, Spain has a reliable healthcare system.with excellent professionals and good connections. Thanks to this, laboratories and specialists exchange information and jointly search for solutions. Of course, the federation emphasizes the need to avoid excessive queues that prevent patients from being examined by a specialist in a timely manner. They must be immediate at any signal.
For this they praise the EU approach, in which they propose breast cancer screening. They suggest a general examination of all women aged 45 to 74 years.
According to the GeiCam research laboratory, from 45 to 65 is age group with the highest incidence. At such moments the body suffers hormonal changesand this is when you live in peri- and postmenopause, a period when the incidence curve begins to rise continuously.
This increase phenomenon is due to several reasons. First, natural aging of the populationwhich is the number one risk factor for developing diseases and there is little that can be done against it. But, on the other hand, also influence of consumption habits and lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle, alcohol and tobacco use, and poor diet are factors that can be improved.
New drugs are funded
According to the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), the mortality rate has decreased significantly in recent years. This is undoubtedly thanks to medical advancesimproving treatments and access to them. General public awareness of this health problem is also very important.
It also led to increased government funding for treatment. Two new drugs included. in the NHS to include it in social care doctors’ prescriptions. Until now, the Price Commission has refused on economic grounds, despite clear clinical benefits.
These two drugs, Enherta and Trodelvy, are intended to treat metastatic cancer. At these levels medicines do not tend to cure completelybut rather stabilization and the opportunity to normalize life in the last phase. This will allow women to control final evolution of the disease and the opportunity to spend this time at home with family.